The Awards recognize efforts by individuals or teams within the FM industry — from researchers to facilities operators — who have made a positive contribution to the knowledge, practical application and communication of strategies to improve the workplace environment.

Excellence in Facilities Management Announced by Global FM

The Global Facility Management Association is pleased to announce the winners of its first ever Awards for Excellence in Facilities Management. The Awards recognize efforts by individuals or teams within the FM industry — from researchers to facilities operators — who have made a positive contribution to the knowledge, practical application and communication of strategies to improve the workplace environment.

[To nominate yourself or some other outstanding facility management professional for TFM‘s 2011 Facility Executive of the Year award, click this link.]

Award recipients demonstrated the value of their innovations and/or improvements to the community through sustainable outcomes in the FM industry. The innovations and/or improvements arose from research or an initiative. They were in turn substantiated by supporting documentation or independent verification of the outcomes of the initiative, or in the case of research, the key findings.

The three levels of recognition awarded included: the Platinum Award for Excellence in FM, the Gold Award for Excellence in FM, and the Silver Award for Excellence in FM. Global FM received 13 award submissions and proudly announces the following winners.

The Platinum Award for Excellence in FM went to EC Harris and the DCSF (Department for Children, Schools & Families, now called the Department for Education), a former department of the U.K. government that took substantial steps toward reducing its carbon footprint and improving energy efficiency.

EC Harris is an international built asset consultancy in planning and executing strategies that optimize the construction, operation, use, and ownership of built assets. DCSF had several buildings which were old fashioned, inefficient, and based around cellular offices. Together, they committed to improve the work environment while improving the sustainability performance with minimal environmental impact.

DCSF and EC Harris developed a plan which: reduced desk space ratio; created greater use of natural light in meeting rooms; offered more height adjustable desks to meet individual needs; reduced the DCSF’s carbon footprint by 50% in London through multiple energy efficiency improvements; and had energy efficiency improvements resulting in ongoing FM savings of 1.5M Euros per annum.

Most of the occupants reported that while they appreciated the cost savings, the changes also improved their ability to collaborate. In addition, they noticed better operational effectiveness. This award is a shining example of how FM teams can think into the long-term operations and see the beneficial impact of project design and planning to improve the workplace, save money and reduce the carbon footprint of the organization.

The Gold Award for Excellence in FM went to CISCO France, Paris, which is putting employee mobility first, in spite of undergoing massive growth and expansion. CISCO France forecasted a 40% growth from 2008 to 2012. The project presented by CISCO France is the result of a need to adapt the workplace environment to new ways of working. The main objectives were to support the business growth, to achieve a flexible and comfortable working environment in a competitive environment, to create next generation working facilities, to make the building a CISCO technology showcase, and to reduce CO2 emission.

In partnership with OZ Consulting, the existing CISCO 11,300m2 office has been renovated using the concept of mobility to achieve a more intelligent use of space. CISCO and OZ Consulting worked on mobility to bring new opportunities to transform the workplace into a more collaborative, productive, and environmentally conscious place that will meet business and operational needs. This concept has been implemented along with the promotion of the brand and in-house technology. As a result, satisfaction rate has increased from 49 to 57% and occupancy rate from 41 to 54%.

Taking home the Silver Award for Excellence in FM was the Centre Milton Keynes (thecentre:mk), UK, a regional shopping center in the heart of Milton Keynes, UK, long regarded for its customer service and sustainability initiatives. With more than 240 stores, cafes and restaurants all under one roof, it is anchored by John Lewis, House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer and Next. As the premier shopping destination in the region between London and Birmingham, Cambridge and Oxford, thecentre:mk enjoys around 30 million visits every year and is unrivaled in its customer service.

The initial factors which prompted the research into biodiesel were the increasing cost into diesel and a desire to minimize the CO2 emissions generated by vehicles. In choosing to use tenants’ waste cooking oil, the FM team also discovered there are other operational benefits. The overall emissions generated from the collection, processing and disposal of the byproducts of the waste cooking oil at thecentre:mk is 1.258 kg of CO2 eq. per liter of biodiesel produced. This figure represents a 52% reduction in the emissions factor to that of petroleum diesel when directly compared. It is a considerable decrease for thecentre:mk. During the initial phases of testing, biodiesel was gradually introduced to the vehicles and a saving of around £60 a month was realized. This saving is now closer to £150 a month — giving a payback period of 20 months.

Facility Management Needs New BloodThe $1 trillion profession is facing a critical shortage of professionals as career paths in the industry undergo “significant change,” according to a new report from IFMA and RICS.

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